Camaraderie
by Golden-Ray
Summary: One-shot about the friendship among the heroes throughout the years so, no pairings. There's information I can't fit in here so, as always, I advise that you look inside.


**This story was inspired by Larry's sketch at the end of 3-5, case 2-4 and the "Nakama" trope on tvtropes. xD It actually went like this: I replayed the last case of Justice for All confirming that it really is the best case of them all (IMO at least) and I realized that I particularly enjoyed how everyone worked together for a common cause despite their differences. I also realized that I enjoyed that part so much because it was one thing I had really missed in the most recent AA games. While Apollo Justice and AAI were great games, I just felt that they lacked that little something which set Phoenix's arc apart from the rest. I came to the conclusion that, one of the things they lacked was that they didn't focus that much on the special bond among the characters, that they didn't demonstrate as nicely how everyone, from victim to villain needs to do their own part for a case to be solved (again, that's my opinion of course!).**

**Then I just happened to stumble upon Larry's sketch and it, too, reminded me of how heartwarming that last scene of the third game was. It made me think "They're such a nice team! I should write something about the five of them!". And so, the idea for this fanfic formed into my head. Sometime during playing the case and examining Larry's sketch, I also found that page on tvtropes which pretty much inspired the title of this one-shot.**

**So, my fic has three segments: childhood, Phoenix era, AJ era. For some reason I made Larry sound very mature in the second segment. I guess it was the only way for things to work out as I wanted them to. On the third segment, though, Larry is completely missing because a)As I said, I was inspired by his sketch from which he was missing (naturally), b)There's an explanation of why he felt like not merging with the rest which pretty much applies to the last segment as well, c)I had already given him a big part in the second segment. :p I think I should also inform you that my story messes a teensy bit with the canon timeline due to the birthdays and the fact the last part is set in winter which, canonically speaking, is before the first case of the fourth game and yet I made it look like it's somewhere after the first and before the last case. It's kind of a bittersweet fic as it pretty much reflects my view on Phoenix's feelings in the AJ games. Then again, maybe it just reflects my own feelings about the way things turned out in the AJ games...**

**But I digress. I should really just let you go ahead and read. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**Comraderie**

_(a.k.a. "Nakama")_

The three boys stopped when they managed to get to a green field right out of town, hands on their knees and panting heavily. Once one of them caught his breath, he straightened his back and offered the others a cracked smile.

"Man, some fight that was! Thanks for the help back there, guys!"

"Larry, you should stop getting in trouble like that." The second boy scolded him, shaking mud and dust off his, otherwise, pretty clean and formal clothes. "And for such trifling matters too!"

"Hey, don't you dare call Mandy trifling, Edgey! She's the cutest girl I've ever met! And what does trifling mean anyway?" the blonde boy called Larry, shouted back at him in a fit of rage.

His friend rolled his eyes as the third boy spoke up for the first time. "He's right, you know." He told him with a serious expression on his face. "You should stop chasing after girls. Ignoring the fact it's disgusting, it almost always leads you into fights with their older brothers and we get caught up in them too! And my hair is totally ruined now!" he exclaimed, trying to fix his trademark spikes to no avail.

"Then why don't you just leave me alone and save yourselves if I cause you so much trouble?" Larry spat at them and kicked a pebble moodily.

Miles snorted and crossed his arms on his chest. "Don't be ridiculous, Larry! No matter how annoying or troublesome you might sometimes be, we're friends. My father says that one should always stick with his friends in every situation, difficult or not. We're not going to let you get beat up by anyone even if you deserve it."

Phoenix promptly nodded and tried to imitate the all-important face Miles had put on while making that declaration.

Larry teared up. "Aw, man! Do you really mean it guys?"

"Sure, Larry! We're a team and we must help each other! Besides, I owe you guys one and you know it!" Phoenix said with a smile.

"I say you're over-exaggerating the importance of that incident." Miles replied calmly. "You were innocent and that was that. Come on now, we should go back to our homes or our parents will get mad. That is, even madder since they'll probably already scold us for getting into a fight."

"You shouldn't be whining, Edge!" Phoenix told his friend with a hint of jealousy in his voice. "Your dad is pretty nice. You hardly ever get punished for anything! [i]My[/i] parents are most likely going to forbid me to go out with you guys for a day or two, though."

"We'll get scolded?" Larry exclaimed incredulously as if he had never been punished for getting into a fight before. "But, but, you said this was about friendship! No one should ever punish us for staying true to our friends! It's unfair!" he whined.

Miles wanted to point out that, if any of them should actually get chastised, that should be Larry since he was the cause of all that but decided against it. Instead Phoenix was the one to speak.

"Grown-ups don't understand that kind of thing, Larry." he said. "But we do, right? And we'll even take those punishments because our team's more important than a few inconveniences! And let's promise that we'll always stick up for each other even when we grow up; we won't forget what true friends do, okay?" Phoenix said in an excited voice. The boy extended his fist in front of him and looked at the others expectantly, hoping for their consent.

Miles smiled, at first a small but genuine smile, and then his usual, wider but half-cracked smile as he placed his hand over Phoenix's.

"Yeah, of course, Nick!" Larry exclaimed and enthusiastically placed his own hand over Miles' although he didn't look like he was actually affected by Nick's words. It seemed more like he enjoyed the energy in Phoenix's voice and felt all pumped up because of that. "Okay, let's go back home now! Pilot Larry is off!" he said as he broke this gesture of friendship to run off with his hands extended to his sides, making sounds of an airplane in flight.

"I don't think he gets it." Phoenix said disappointed.

"I think he does, sub-consciously that is. I'm sure his heart is in the right place." Miles replied.

"But we understand it, right?" Phoenix asked. "We'll stay friends no matter what difficulties come to our way! And… and we'll always help and support each other even if we're far away or get separated or lose contact. We'll never betray our comrades or grow apart and forget each other!"

Miles smirked. "But of course! We're friends and nothing can change that!"

"Come on, slow pokes! It'll be night by the time you decide to move! [i]If[/I] you ever decide to move that is!" Larry called out to them from afar.

"Race time!" Phoenix exclaimed. "Last one in is a rotten egg!" he shouted in a mocking, sing-song voice and sprinted toward Larry who had already started running, hoping to win this race.

"Hey! That's unfair!" Miles yelled as he tried to catch up with others who had gained an advantage.

The three boys laughed as their little legs used all the strength they could muster to carry them back to their homes.

* * *

It was the first time Larry felt like staying out of the fun. With his sketchbook and coloring pencils at hand, he perceived the group of people in front of him. Something had piqued his interest. It was strange because that something was like an abstract concept he couldn't quite grasp and, yet, it had somehow pulled on his heartstrings in such a way that he wanted to draw it on paper.

But, what was he supposed to draw if he couldn't understand what that 'something' was? But was he really unable to comprehend that peculiar thing he couldn't name? Because he'd swear that it reminded him of happier times, like the times of his childhood.

He shook his head which had started to hurt as he was trying way too hard to force inspiration. He decided to examine the group once more.

It was such an odd bunch of people. They didn't fit with each other no matter how one would look at them. Nothing was compatible; not their clothes, not their personalities, not their appearances, nothing. He had watched them argue countless of times and they seemed not to enjoy each other's company. And yet, there was no way one would see them together and not say: "Ah, they must be old friends!"

It was that oddity that confused him so. As far as he knew, all of them had gone through a lot in their lives. They had become different people; they had… -what would be an appropriate word?- they had grown up. He had mostly stayed the same as when he was a kid; his mind was simple, his life was simple and he treated everyone in the same way: simply and straightforwardly. As such, the meaning of friendship had remained simple for him as well. It was pretty much what he remembered from a day long past.

He had thought the rest would think friendship was something simple too. At one point in time, he had lost faith in that belief but, he was proven wrong. And then he realized that maybe it was he who had not quite understood what it all meant. Because, in the end, all of the people in front of him had stayed true to the words he had once heard as a child; they had kept their promise even though the majority of them weren't even present when it was given and knew nothing of it. He had come to believe that they had somehow known all along. Or that was what his simple mind told him.

He watched as they would tease each other like friends often do. They had just come out of a difficult, tragic case which had required everyone's assistance. He was sure no one had escaped unscathed but, right now, they seemed to have forgotten all about it and found comfort in the presence of the others.

Larry knew it was some sort of "thank you" gathering and a way to heal any inflicted wounds. That small team of people in front of him hardly ever went out together in other instances and, if he was not mistaken, they wouldn't even talk for entire months. And yet, even at the tiniest hint of danger or the mere perception that one of them might need help, they would all rush to assist the one in need as if their many disputes or the time during which they hadn't even phoned each other didn't matter one bit.

It was then that Larry started to understand that, a true friend, was more than just someone you go out with and have fun with or even someone you can discuss your problems with. It was someone who would care for you regardless of what had transpired between the two of you. It was someone who would never forget about you no matter how many years had passed since the last time the two of you had talked. It was someone you could not grow apart with despite how far that person might be. It was someone you could easily forgive for criticizing you because, deep inside, you know they didn't want to hurt you but to help you.

Larry had come to this understanding late and that's why he now stood away from these people. He didn't feel qualified to be among them as they spent some time together, as a proper team, after who knows how long. And who knows how long it would take them to be together like that again…

No, the man felt that he would spoil everything if his –up until very recently- ignorant self was to approach them. Thus, he stood in a corner, fervently drawing in his sketchbook, trying to capture all that this odd group represented, all that he had managed to understand by watching them, hoping he'll make something nice, something he could perhaps print out and hand a copy to each one of them so that they could hang it on a wall at their homes and remember their comrades and what they could achieve together. Larry doubted something like that would ever happen but, he was somehow afraid the bond among them would break one day and he wanted to prevent that by presenting them with a drawing so nice they wouldn't even think of falling apart.

Now they were loudly deciding to celebrate at some restaurant. They all looked quite happy and eager. Larry had to finish his drawing quick, before the group left. Fortunately, he only needed to add a few colors and he would be done. He had to admit he had done a great job. It was one of the most accurate depictions of people he had succeeded in finishing. A group of young people ready to take on every challenge and emerge victorious. His next thought sounded silly but, now that he had observed and drawn them, he felt as if he could feel more at ease, as if he had just found out that the world was in good hands and so everything would turn out alright from that point on.

* * *

Phoenix Wright was sitting slumped on a chair in Borscht Club, a half-empty bottle of grape juice in his left hand. Today the club was completely empty sans the former defense attorney, his adoptive daughter and the one he –inwardly- called his apprentice. Phoenix Wright had specifically asked that the club was left to himself and his daughter as today was Trucy's birthday and, since the Wright Anything Agency or Nick's house were not suitable to host a proper birthday party, he had decided the Borscht Club would be just fine as long as the usual drunkards were not there as well.

The fifteen year old was eagerly waiting for her other guests, generally seeming to be in high spirits. Then again, there hardly was a time when Trucy Wright lost her cheerful attitude.

"Wow, Daddy, thanks a lot for that!" she exclaimed, jumping around. "An entire club left to ourselves! You'll let me drink a little bit, right?" she asked him, in the cutest voice she could muster.

"Just a little bit, though, okay?" Phoenix said, a faint smile on his lips. Trucy always managed to make him smile with her antics, no matter how down in the dumps he was feeling.

The girl clapped her hands happily. "Thanks a lot, Daddy! I'm sure tonight will be a blast! Remember to have some fun too, though! It's your birthday as well!" she said after giving him a quick hug.

"Okay, okay. I'll try." Phoenix replied, chortling a bit at Trucy's enthusiasm. Indeed, it was his birthday too. What a coincidence. His adoptive daughter and he had been born on the same day.

Trucy smiled, content. "Why don't we go outside, Apollo?" he proposed to the defense attorney who was laying his back on the wall as he too awaited the other guests to arrive. "It's a pity to stay inside when we can enjoy a beautiful snowy cityscape."

Apollo Justice followed Trucy outside after they both said they'd come back in once the guests started to arrive.

Once they were outside and the club's door had closed behind them, Phoenix let his head fall backwards as he heaved a sigh. Yes, it was his and his daughter's birthday but, he was not in a festive mood. Seven years… Seven years of nothingness…

Wright had faced every single difficulty stoically staying strong through it all. He could remember some good times as well. Watching Trucy growing up, meeting Justice, a promising young man, slowly watching his plans to establish a jury system bear fruit… Most of his days went by quite peacefully too so, he shouldn't complain. There were times, however, when he would break down, when he would get nostalgic over the days when he was so full of hopes and dreams and confidence and potential! At times like these, all he wanted to do was to simply sit on a chair and forget, forget that he could have been so much more, that he could have been much happier than he was now.

That was one of the reasons he was so obsessed with his grape juice. He had sworn to never, ever become alcoholic, especially after Trucy's adoption. When he had first felt the need to drink, he had grabbed a bottle of grape juice, the closest thing to an alcoholic beverage without actually _being_ an alcoholic beverage he could find. Of course, grape juice could not knock someone out or make them forget like drinks could but, it would have to do. Phoenix would stay true to the promise he had made to himself.

He raised the bottle to his mouth and took a swig as he felt the familiar heartache of nostalgia combined with intense sadness. He was feeling that he was getting old, that he was wasting his life aimlessly. Seven years were already gone before he could even realize what was going on. How many more was he going to waste?

He remembered of a time when his birthday would pass in a much better way than him drinking grape juice all alone in some club. He used to have fun in a day like that. He used to decorate his home and invite over all of his friends.

Friends…

Really, where had all these people he called friends gone? Where they really worth to be called friends when they had left him to fend for himself in the most difficult period of his life?

But no, he was being unfair with them. When news of his disbarment had spread, he had received a few phone calls. Phone calls he had promptly ignored until they had stopped completely. He had shut himself away from everyone he knew for a big span of time so, he couldn't blame his friends entirely.

Still, he believed that he shouldn't be the only one to take the blame. He was sure that his friends knew him better than to assume he just wanted to stop talking to them after he had stopped being a lawyer. He strongly believed that they should have tried again, even if only once, later on. They should have tried again when they felt that Phoenix should have gotten over the first shock because, surely, they must have realized by then that, sometimes, emotions got the best of him and he couldn't think straight for a while.

But there had been no phone calls, no letters and no visits. And Phoenix was feeling too betrayed or afraid or ashamed to make the first step. And, deep inside, he didn't feel like he should. He had always been the one to apologize, the one to try and mend his relationships with the others. And he was always the first one to rush to their side on their time of need even if they had hurt him before. He had always stayed true to his beliefs about friendship. But now… Now it was his own time of need and he had expected someone to return the favor and aid him. He had only asked for a shoulder to cry on and he couldn't even have that.

_That's the grown-up world for you;_ is what he would tell himself.

Because, really, he was feeling like he was still a child in his own little world where noble feelings and ideas and promises were true. He used to have company in that little world of his. There were others sharing his ideals. But then, they all grew up at some point and could no longer stand that childish fantasy so they left and they left without him. And the worst part was that he had not realized they had grown up and gone until it was too late. He used to think they were all down there with him when, in reality, they had already followed their own path away from his idealistic world. Phoenix guessed that, there's a point when, no matter how strong your resolve is, difficulties manage to break you and you can no longer maintain your childish innocence. He had done his best to keep the young boy inside him alive but, without the help of others, he had failed. He was no longer residing in his imaginary world. He had been brought back to reality and adulthood. Now, it was only in nights like this one he would remember the little kid who believed he could change the world he used to be.

He swigged his grape juice once more as he looked outside of the window where he could see Trcuy and Apollo standing next to a bench, laughing heartily. Wrong move. He was reminded even more strongly of his friends, the ones who had abandoned him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath trying to shoo the memories out of his mind as he could really feel they were taking their toll on him. He didn't want to have a break down on his daughter's birth day.

When he opened them again his vision was blurred and, for a moment, he thought that he wasn't really seeing what he was seeing.

A form was standing in front of him and an all-familiar voice spoke. "Nick… Is that you?" it asked timidly, in a barely audible tone.

He forced himself to utter the name he had shoved deep into his memories so that it wouldn't constantly emerge and hurt him. "Maya…?" his voice was barely a whisper.

It was unlike any of his previous reunions with the Fey girl. There was no hugging, no laughing, no shouting and no teasing. They just stood there, staring at each other; a broken man and a matured version of the chirp girl he remembered.

Phoenix noticed how much she had grown even though she was still only twenty five. Her eyes had lost their playful, carefree sparkle and she no longer emanated that energetic aura. She looked like a very responsible woman and someone who had to deal with lots of trouble very early in their life. Her appearance itself had not changed much. She still had her top knot but now it looked more like a fashion statement than a sign of young age. Her acolyte robes had been replaced by a dark, flowery kimono which indicated her status as a full-grown spirit medium and master of Kurain.

She seemed so alien to him… And then he had to wonder just what should Maya be thinking about him who had changed much more than her. For the first time, he felt very ashamed of his unkempt state.

The two of them kept standing there, an awkward silence lingering between them. The first time they were feeling awkward around each other. Maya was avoiding his gaze and was instead looking down, her hands crossed in front of her.

Phoenix felt the need to break the silence. "Pearls?" he inquired.

"I wasn't sure I should bring her with me…" the spirit medium admitted, still not making eye contact.

So, she was afraid… But afraid of what? Of his reaction upon seeing them for the first time after seven years? Afraid of what might have become of him? Afraid of upsetting the always-sensitive girl? Maybe she was right in being scared.

"She has grown up a lot, you know…" Maya said but, Phoenix knew not what to reply to that.

Another awkward silence. Wright could take it no more and decided to ask the question that had been bothering him right from the start.

"Maya, why are you here?"

She was taken aback. "I thought... I thought I was invited… To your birthday. A girl called me and told me that you wanted to meet your old friends on this special day…"

Phoenix looked outside at the teenage girl. Trucy…

He didn't know whether he should feel angry or happy at the girl. He was feeling way too numb for any emotion right now. He decided to deal with his daughter later. Right now, he had a bigger issue to tackle.

"Oh…" was his sole reply and no word was spoken after that.

"Nick." Maya started, breaking the silence. Her eyes met his for the first time and Phoenix was surprised by the emotion inside them. "How did that happen?" she asked and Wright understood that she was not talking just about his disbarment but also about the state he was in and the fact that they had grown apart.

The man bent his head. He did not know the answer to that although he wished he did.

Before he could mutter his reply, the door opened once more and a cold breeze entered the room.

"I'd like to know that too." Said a much more stern voice which was, though, also low in tone.

He raised his head to see Edgeworth standing in the doorway with his arms crossed in front of his chest and his usual company –Franziska and Gumshoe- waiting behind him. He observed the trio. They too had changed.

The prosecutor's characteristics seemed a bit harsher than the round-faced Edgeworth he remembered. He was still stoic and stern but, now, his figure seemed to carry more authority; it was natural as he was no longer in his twenties. Nick felt that nobody would dare to mock him about the color of his attire or the cravat he was wearing –that had remained the same- now. Problem was, they probably wouldn't dare tease him more out of fear than respect. Edgeworth had never been one to smile for no reason but, it looked like he had stopped smiling for any reason now.

Franziska had grown her hair out a little bit and she too seemed more mature in the same way Maya did. Her eyes were stern like Miles' and they had lost most if not all of the fire and determination they used to hold -the things that defined that woman above everything else on her. Other than that, her appearance was pretty much the same with only some very small, almost invisible changes. Phoenix thought that she somehow looked a little scared the way she looked around her questioningly, not seeming to understand what had happened –much like everyone in that room.

Lastly, there was Gumshoe, standing a ways behind the two prosecutors, the usual goofiness completely absent from his face. He was wearing a sad look and seemed older as he was now in his forties. Phoenix noticed that he was nervously playing with a wedding-ring on his finger. Wright would have thought the detective was the only one in the room who had actually managed to achieve something great hadn't he known better. The ring was clearly the sole thing the man was proud of as Phoenix knew that, soon after his disbarment, he had been removed from the force. Edgeworth and von Karma had gone abroad -never to come back as it was proven later on- and so there was no one to prevent that from happening. Gumshoe had moved out of the city and gone to live somewhere else where he had apparently married and probably found a new job but, judging by how unsatisfied the man looked, Phoenix guessed that his job was not fulfilling.

For a second, Nick felt almost jealous of the three as their simultaneous entrance had made him think that they had remained friends during those seven years. However, a second look at them told him that this wasn't the case. It looked like the detective had kept some very loose contact with the prosecutors but that was that. As for the man and woman beside him, they might have gone abroad together but they had obviously ended up in different countries. Or at least, that's what the body language of the three people in front of him told him.

Phoenix realized that they were all strangers in this room. They had distanced themselves from each other and no longer shared that special bond they used to have way back when. Phoenix also realized that he was not the only one who had had it hard. Sure, the others were probably in a much better state than he was but they too looked like they had lost their hope, their faith or the fight in them. It just didn't seem like they were still fighting for an ideal or their pride and honor. They looked like people who were just doing their jobs; doing them well, but finding no special meaning or greater cause in them.

It was as if Phoenix had been the link that kept their little team together so, when that link was broken, everything fell apart. That could only make him wonder if, perhaps, it really was his fault and his fault alone that he had been left all on his own. Maybe it wasn't his friends that had abandoned him. Maybe it was the other way round and he was the one responsible for the way things had turned out for all five of them.

Wright was about to run his hand through his hair but his fingers met his blue beanie so, instead, he hid his face in his hands and muttered an "I don't know." as a reply to Maya's and Edgeworth's question.

The three people walked inside. Gumshoe almost collapsed on a seat, Franziska went to stand in a corner and Edgeworth simply walked and stood in front of Phoenix, making Maya leave her position and sit on a chair next to Phoenix. All the while, the three new arrivals were shooting timid glances at him. Just how bad was he looking?

"So, that's how you repay everyone's trust? By lying down to die?" Miles said bitterly.

Phoenix was taken aback by his friend's sudden harshness. It was to be expected, though. Miles Edgeworth was never known for holding back. However, his comment still managed to anger Nick. It was uncalled for. And his friend could definitely see that he was in no condition to put up with Edgeworth's usual mannerisms.

"I betrayed your trust?" Phoenix asked in a dangerously low voice. "As I recall, I wasn't the one who walked away when my friend lost everything. At least I keep my promises!" he spat at the end of his reply, not caring if Edgeworth would understand what he was referring to or not.

"You fool!" Franziska hissed from the corner. "You don't understand a thing, do you? I see that you're clueless as to what your disbarment really meant."

Phoenix looked at her. So, was he right in thinking that losing his badge was the reason they had all ended up like this? But then that meant…

"So, you only wanted to be around me while I was a successful lawyer and when I stopped being one I also stopped being of use to you?" he asked, hurt apparent in his tone.

"That's not what she meant, pal." Gumshoe said, his expression full of sadness. "She simply means that our jobs weren't the same after you were disbarred. I'm now living in San Francisco and, I'm working as security guard in the police depertment there," he stopped, as if the mere mention of the word security guard instead of detective pained him greatly, "so I get to observe the progress of the cases sometimes and... there's just no second you. No attorney to come and disrupt the crime scene or try to get hold of evidence or information he shouldn't know about in the first place. Nobody is as devoted…" he said with a sad smile.

"And nobody comes even relatively close to posing a real challenge in the courtroom. And of course nobody is foolish enough to utter as much nonsense as you used to during a trial." Franziska added with a scoff, but Phoenix could clearly see a faint, nostalgic smile on her face.

Phoenix felt his eyes well up a little. He hadn't known that his work had been appreciated that much. He looked back at Edgeworth who too had a wistful look upon his face. Maya gently tapped his arm with her hand as if to reassure him or to tell him "See? We all missed you.".

His friends really needed him just as much as he did. He was wrong in thinking that this was a matter of who should have helped of whom. Everybody needed the help of everyone else to keep going. He was the little child of the team and, as such, he was the one who should always stay optimistic and keep their dreams alive. The rest were the adults and, among other things, were the ones who should give him guidance. When he lost his badge, he did not receive the support he needed. In turn, he didn't try to tell himself or his friends that everything would be alright. None of them had tried to help the other. Now he no longer was a child. His friends were no longer the adults. Heck, they weren't even a team anymore. They had forgotten the meaning of the word team a long time ago and it had cost them everything.

If only they had remembered that, the demise of one meant the demise of the entire team, that the mistake of one is the mistake of the entire team, maybe they wouldn't have remained passive seven years ago, waiting for someone else to make the first move and putting the blame on the others for what had happened. That's not what sticking together through thick and thin meant…

"Still, you could have called." Phoenix said though not with anger, sadness or bitterness. He knew they had attempted to call him. They had simply stopped trying too quickly. It was just a statement. What was done could not be undone.

"So could you…" Edgeworth told him softly.

They stood there in silence, each lost in his or her own thoughts. Phoenix noticed that the other guests of the party, Ema Skye and Klavier Gavin had already arrived but, Trucy was gesturing to them, telling them not to go inside yet. Phoenix smiled inwardly. No, he probably wouldn't end up scolding her for what she had done.

"I… heard you play the piano to make a living." Maya said in an attempt to break the heavy silence that had fallen. "Why don't you play something to us?"

Phoenix chortled. "Are you sure you want me to do that?" he asked and then laughed with Maya's perplexed look. "Fine. But it's not my fault if you don't like it."

It didn't take more than a few notes to make Edgeworth speak. "Just get away from there, Wright! You're doing it wrong." He said annoyed.

Phoenix stood up with a smirk and went to sit on a chair as Edgeworth took his place at the piano bench. Franziska approached them and stood by the piano so as to no longer be distanced from the rest of them. Gumshoe too adjusted his chair so that the five of them were now all sitting close to each other like a proper group of friends.

Edgeworth chose to play something appropriate for the occasion. Not too happy a song –nobody was in the mood for something like that- but not too sad either. They all were silent and absorbed in their thoughts once more but, it was not an awkward silence. It was almost companionate as each of them was doing what they should have done a long time ago; think of what had brought them where they were without anger or bitterness but with a clear mind and a will to escape their misery.

Phoenix looked around him, his gaze going from friend to friend. Maya offered him a warm, genuine smile. Detective Gumshoe grinned albeit a bit shyly and uncertainly as if it had been a long time since he had last done that. Franziska only looked at him sideways but she too graced him with a brief smile. Edgeworth… Well, Edgeworth was concentrated on playing but Phoenix could tell that he knew he was looking at him and he could feel that the prosecutor was smiling as well.

The former defense attorney lied back on his chair and closed his eyes. Despite the sound of the piano, he could faintly hear laughter coming from the group of four waiting outside of the club. It had been a long time since he had last appreciated the sound of something as simple as laughter. Unwillingly, he felt a faint smile bloom on his face as he immersed himself in the music and the wonderful feeling of being among true friends. Because, despite all that had happened to them, it really was as they said: real friends never stop being friends regardless of distance, time or arguments.

And for a moment there, Phoenix felt as if he had gone back in time, when there was much, much less sadness in his life.

* * *

**Notes: I had lots of fun writing this! It was not exactly easy since I had to explain and analyse the abstract concept that is friendship but that actually made things more interesting. I also hope that the metaphor I put in there made sense. And I thought I should add the part about Phoenix relying too much on his friends as I think this is one of his issues in the game. Oh, and piano playing Edgeworth is canon! I was very glad when I found out because I had always assumed Edgeworth played the piano and, well, every fan is glad when it's proven that their ideas match those of the creators. :p Reviews, favorites and the like are love so, you know what to do!**


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